Suture cutting and removing instrument



Oct. 19, 1965 J. H; BENEDICT 3,212,187

SUTURE CUTTING AND REMOVING INSTRUMENT Filed March 27, 1963 United States Patent O 3,212,187 SUTURE CUTTING AND REMOVING INSTRUMENT John H. Benedict, Van Nuys, Calif., assignor to Bard- Parker Company, Inc., Danbury, Conn., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 268,327 3 Claims. `(Cl. 30-165) This invention relates to suture cutting and removing, and, Vmore particularly, to an instrument capable of bothcutting and removing sutures.

In accordance with general practice, applied sutures are removed by first cutting the individual stitches with a pair of scissors and then removing the cut suture with small forceps. Recently, a suture removing kit including a knife for cutting and forceps for `removing a particular suture or line of sutures has been introduced.

These prior art techniques have presented a number of problems and disadvantages which the present invention eectively overcomes. For example, the cost of such instrumentation has been consistently high and obviously not susceptible of disposability within practical limits. Since at least two instruments are necessary .in performing the suture removal operation, one or the other may be inconveniently located on misplaced.

It is an object of the present invention to simplify suture cutting an removal in an inexpensive manner by providing rmeans on a single blade for cutting and removing a suture.

Another object is to provide a one piece suture cutting and removal blade capable of shortening the time for such operations while maintaining costs therefore appreciably below todays standard.

Still another object is to render available this instrument in prepackaged sterile form at costs permitting disposability.

A still further object is to provide for considerable time saving as well -as cost reduction by offering a stitch cutter and remover which is extremely simple to use in prepackaged, presterilized and disposable condition.

A disposable suture cutting and removing blade fabricated in accordance with the present invention includes a blade formed of one piece sheet metal stock. The blade is curved or bent transversely of its broad dimension intermediate its ends so as to present a divergent handle portion and cutting edge extending from the bend. The cutting edge is slipped under the suture and manipulated to sever the stitch. A notch is formed in the opposite edge of the blade from the cutting edge to engage the knot of the suture after it has been cut to facilitate suture removal.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a somewhat preferred embodiment of this invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a suture cutting and removing blade in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a t-op plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view depicting a suture line and showing the use of the instrument in both cutting a stitch and removing it from the line;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of FIG. 4.

In the drawings, a suture cutting and removing instrument 10 includes a blade 12 preferably formed from sheet metal stock as, for example, blue tempered spring steel.

The blade 12 is formed with a somewhat enlarged handle 14 termina-ting in a rounded end 16. The other end 18 of the blade is preferably blunt and is provided with a tapered cutting edge 20. An arcuate cutout portion 21 is interposed between the cutting edge 20 and handle 14. This cutout portion serves to identify t-he inner end of the cutting edge. The other edge of the blade 12 is provided with a notch 22 to engage with the knot of a stitch for suture removal. The blade 12 is also provided with a blend or curved portion 24 such that the handle 12 and leading end 18 are divergent with respect to one another from the bend 24. In this connection, it has been found that the angle a for satisfactory manipulation of the instrument 'and results may range from approximately 30 to 35 degrees.

In o-rder to appreciate the use and manipulation of the suture cutting and removing instrument 10, reference is now made to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. A suture line 26 is illustrated and includes a series of stitches or sutures 28 each of which are provided with the usual suture knot 30. When it is desired to sever the individual stitches 28, the leading blunt end 18 is slipped under the suture 28 to be cut. The provisions for the blunt end 18 cooperate in preventing puncturing of the skin during the positioning of the cutting edge 2t). The instrument 10 is now manipulated to cut the stitch. Thereafter the particular suture knot 30 is caught in the notch 22 and the suture is then removed. This sequence of operation is repeated for the removal of all of the stitches in the suture line 26.

Proper positioning of the cutting edge in the rst instance is facilitated by the bend or curve portion 24 by permitting the handle 14 to be securely clasped. Consequently, adequate control in manipulating the instrument is provided not only during cutting but removal of the suture. Secondly, subsequent to stitch cut-ting, the bend 24 permits the leading blunt end 18 to override or clear the next succeeding stitch in .a forward direction thereby enabling the notch 22 to engage with the knot 30 of the severed suture without danger of inadvertently or accidentally cutting a forwardly located stitch.

The disclosed suture cutting and removing instrument 10 may be convenien-tly packaged in a sterile fashion. In this connection, the instrument 10 may be suitably wrapped in a sterile material, such as a sponge, and the wrapped instrument may then be -suitably enclosed in an outer paper `envelope or wrapper. It may be found most expedient commercially to employ gas sterilization of the wrapped units to acquire the ldesired sterilization.

Thus the aforenoted objects and advantages, among others, are most effectively attained. Although the single somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and is to be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A suture cutting land removing instrument comprising a one-piece blade formed from thin sheet material and having a broad face, a bent portion curved transversely of the broad face intermediate the ends of the blade thereby dividing said blade into a handle portion at one end and a leading end, a cutting edge on said blade at the leading end for severing sutures, said cutting edge being tapered, the terminal edge of the leading end being blunt to minimize puncturing of the skin during suture cutting, and a notch at least partly in the leading end of the blade at the bent portion for engaging and removing the severed suture, said notch being in close proximity to said bent portion so that said leading end can be tilted at an angle with respect to the skin, and, at the same time, permit engagement of the suture knot by the notch.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said blade is provided with a cutout portion intermediate 3 4 said cutting end and handle portion for facilitating grip- References Cited by the Examiner Plfg Ohblade d th l 1 h UNITED STATES PATENTS e 1nven1on 1n accor ance w1 c ann w erern said handle portion and leading end are divergent With $1318?? respect to one `another from said bent port1on and the acute 920409 5/09 Wild 132 75'4 angle defined by said handle and said leading end ranging from approximately 30 degrees to 35 degrees. RICHARD A GAUDET Primary Examiner. 

1. A SUTURE CUTTING AND REMOVING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE BLADE FORMED FROM THIN SHEET MATERIAL AND HAVING A BROAD FACE, A BENT PORTION CURVED TRANSVERSELY OF THE BORAD FACE IMTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE BLADE THEREBY DIVIDING SAID BLADE INTO A HANDLE PORTION AT ONE END AND A LEADING END, A CUTTING EDGE ON SAID BLADE AT THE LEADING END FOR SEVERING SUTURES, SAID CUTTING EDGE BEING TAPERED, THE TERMINAL EDGE OF THE LEADING END BEING BLUNT OT MINIMIZE PUNCTURING OF THE SKIN DURING SUTURE CUTTING, AND A NOTCH AT LEAST PARTLY IN THE LEADING END OF THE BLADE AT THE BENT PORTION FOR ENGAGING AND REMOVING THE SEVERED SUTURES, SAID NOTCH BEING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID BENT PORTION SO THAT SAID LEADING END CAN BE TILTED AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE SKIN, AND, AT THE SAME TIME, PERMIT ENGAGEMENT OF THE SUTURE KNOT BY THE NOTCH. 